Guard for groove-top containers



Sept. 23, 1952 w, BROWN 2,611,508

GUARD FOR GROOVE-TOP CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 3, 1948 INVENTOR. 7 JOHN W. .BEOM/IV Patented Sept. 23, 1952 fan 1.56s

e GUARD FOR decoys-Tor communes John W. Brown South Euelid10hio-, ,-assianor to The John P. Cochr a Quint na G anm- Ohio, acorporation of Ohio g p I I Application August 3, 1948, Serial No. 42,187

1 Claim. 1 customarily, containers such as buckets and cans for paints, oils, greases, etc., have a groovetop in which the flange of the lid frictionally fits, a tight seal of metal to metal being thereby provided for shipping and handling. After the lid is once removed for use, the paint or other content soon accumulates in the groove and, for

instance, in painting out of such a bucket or 1 can, this accumulation is not only spilled over on the outside of the container, thereby increasing the mussiness, but when it is desired to replace the lid, the groove cannot be cleaned adequately, and as the paint tends to be irregular in distribution about the groove, the lid cannot again be seated air-tight. Accordingly, the air oxidizes and wastes the remaining can contents. Also, as the lid becomes stuck, it is difilcult to remove later. In accordance with the present invention, it now becomes possible to eliminate such difliculties. And a groove top of this character may provide the desired tight metal-to-metal seal of the lid to a container as usual, but after the lid is removed the groove is closed by a guard and liquid material is excluded. On ultimately removing the guard, a clean groove is ready to again receive the lid flange. The device saves time and labor, and obviates excess mussiness. It is also low in cost. Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a guard in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the top portion of a container with a guard in place;

Figs. 3 and 3a are fragmentary vertical sections showing lids of different types in normal position on a container, with the flange seated in the groove in metal-to-metal seal; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the groove covered by the guard after the lid has been removed.

With a container of groove-top character, as indicated, after the lid is pried off, the guard provided by the present invention is placed as a cover inthe groove. As seen in Fig. 3, the container C before removal of the lid L has the flange ,f

seated in the groove 2 in metal-to-metal contact and against the upturned wall 3 of the groove,- as common in groove-top buckets and cans. In Fig. 3a the flange seats with f against wall 3 and also against the outer wall. Enough space is left between the edge 4 or 4' of the lid to permit insertion of a screw-driver blade or the like for prying off the lid. Thus, with the lid removed, it is seen from Fig. 4 that the guard 5 may be placed in position covering the groove, the outer periphery of the guard being dimensioned to fit against the outer wall, and the inner periphery of the guard being dimensioned to fit against the inner groove wall. The guard 5 may be molded, or stamped or cut from sheet stock, and the material may be metal, rubber, fabric or cord impregnated with filling, plastic, or cellulosic material such as pulp board, cardboard, etc. Cellulosic material has an advantage of allowing a snug crowd fit, and it can also absorb oil to some extent. The thickness of stock may vary, depending upon conditions to be met, and upon the size of the container, but in general, all that is required is that the guard fairly well fill the space so as to leave practically no room for possible accumulation of paint or oil, etc., on its top, and since the outside wall is higher than the inner groove wall, any paint or oil, etc., which may be dragged out by a brush, for instance, tends to find its way back into the container. For easy removal of the guard after it has served its purpose, a lifting-tab 6 is desirably provided. This may be on the inner periphery, as illustrated in Fig. l, or it may be on the outer periphery, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the positioning being determined largely by convenience of manufacture and favorable cutting of stock, etc. After the guard has served its purpose, as for instance while the bucket or can is used for the dipping-in of a paint brush during painting, by lifting by means of the tab 6, the guard is raised out from its position covering the groove, and any paint or oil, etc. on top thereby flows on into the container, and the groove underheath the guard is found clean as when the guard was applied in the first instance. Thereupon, the lid can be immediately replaced, for the preservation of the contents remaining in the container, until another time for usage.

Groove guards as here provided, being of small cost, can advantageously be applied for such temporary usages in maintaining clean grooves for. lid replacement, and may then be discarded.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the detail described, provided the features stated in the following claim, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

A container having in its top an opening and a surrounding annular groove to receive a lidflange, and means for filling the annular groove and exposing the adjacent inner and outer margins of' the container top and its opening, comprising a flange-substituting annular narrow flat sheet filler fitted in the groove and frictionally engaging against the inner wall of the groove by its inner periphery and frictionally engaging 4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 752,591 Robinson Feb. 16, 1904 1,611,575 VAulbach Dec, 21, 1926 1,872,159 McCreary 2 Aug. 16, 1932 2,034,067 Stone Mar. 1'7, 1936 2,151,895 Carlson Mar. 28, 1939 2,268,241 Bruechel Dec. 30, 1941 2,275,305 Morgan Mar. 3, 1942 

